About Us

WHO WE AREWe are a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization driven by young people globally.

PURPOSEWe support & empower youth by harnessing peer-to-peer connections, aiming to fight the stigma around mental health through open conversation & education.

VISIONA world where youth join forces & speak about mental health without shame, while embracing the contagion of compassion & hope.

You are not alone. We all face stress & mental health challenges. Learning how to cope with this early-on is a global matter for our generation. TeenzTalk is here to start the dialogue around mental health & highlight a variety of resources. Help & hope are real.

Embrace the activities you enjoy. It naturally may take exploring many different areas, before discovering the ones that are truly for you. Explore teen video responses on passions, stress relief, & happiness. Your well-being matters.

Connect with your peers to share aspirations & setbacks. We're here to support each other. Through our strength, perseverance, curiosity, & compassion, we can achieve wellness together. Your story deserves to be heard.

Message from the Founder

"I founded this organization in response to the suicide clusters at my neighborhood-school & my own experience with helping a close friend out of suicidal ideation, which opened my eyes to the issues with stress & adolescent mental health at large. It's a global matter, & we're here to shatter the stigma around mental health, embrace life's challenges, & support each other by sharing stories of growth & recovery among the teen population.

We've almost all had experiences with difficulty & discouragement. We’re here to grow from these experiences, learn how to cope, & create a resilient community. Your story deserves to be heard, & your well-being deserves to be prioritized. Let's get well together." –Nadia Ghaffari

Psychology Behind Our Mission​

According to psychologist Erik Erikson & his stages of psychosocial development, the struggle between elevating your sense-of-self, or failing to discover who you are, happens throughout your teen years. During adolescence, your identity is beginning to form. Your personality & behavior is shaped majorly by your peers — the people who you identify with most.

Contrary to younger children who glorify their parents' teachings & beam at their praise, adolescents value autonomy while craving acceptance from their equals — their peers. The term 'peer influence' has most commonly been used to refer to the negative influences that teens have on one another, yet peer influence can also be a major contributor to adolescent growth & success.​Teens are more likely to confide in, listen to, & relate to other teens – rather than being counseled by their parents or advisers on topics including stress-management & overcoming adversity. TeenzTalk.org sets aside the generation gap& places the focus on positive peerinfluence & peer support, while also providing connections to educational & professional resources. By starting conversations among a larger community of teens, it allows adolescents to stimulate & motivate one another in their search for self-identity & fulfillment.

Harnessing a Growth Mindset

​"No matter what your current ability is, effort is what ignites that ability & turns it into accomplishment," as said by Dr. Carol Dweck, author of Mindset. ​​In other words, work hard & enjoy theprocess of improvement. Believe in your abilities, embrace a supportive community environment, & practice a growth mindset through challenges you face in life. Together we inspire growth- the TeenzTalk motto. Learn more about the science behind a growth mindset, & watch Dr. Dweck's TED Talk: The power of believing that you can improve.